THIS WEEK

ENDING DISCRIMINATION

Two college students in north China’s Tianjin Municipality hold banners urging society to pay more attention to HIv/AIDS carriers on November 27, four days ahead of World AIDS Day, which falls on December 1.

Students and HIv/AIDS carriers in the city hit the streets, calling for a halt to discrimination against the disease.

Sea Trial

China’s first aircraft carrier, the Liaoning, leaves its homeport of Qingdao in Shandong Province on November 26 for a training and scientific observation mission in the South China Sea.

This is the first time the carrier has conducted a cross-sea training voyage since it entered service in September 2012.

The voyage will test the carrier’s equipment, according to Captain Zhang Zheng.

lt was escorted by two destroyers, the Shenyang and Shijiazhuang, and two frigates, the Yantai and Weifang.

The South China Sea trial is a normal arrangement in the carrier’s scheduled training, according to naval sources.

The Liaoning is China’s only aircraft carrier in operation. lt was re fitted based on an un finished Soviet-made carrier.

Lunar Exploration

On November 26, China unveiled plans to send Chang’e-3, its domestically developed lunar probe, to the Moon in early December. The probe gets its name from Chang’e, the mythological goddess from Chinese folklore who is said to live on the Moon with a rabbit.

Chang’e-3 comprises of a lander and moon rover Yutu (Jade Rabbit). The lunar probe will land on the Moon in mid-December if everything goes according to plan,said Wu Zhijian, a spokesman for the State Administration of Science,Technology and lndustry for National Defense.

The mission is China’s first exploration of an extraterrestrial object using a remote controlled probe, Wu added.

The tasks for Yutu include surveying the Moon’s geological structure and surface composition,and looking for natural resources,said Ouyang Ziyuan, chief scientist of China’s lunar satellite project. lt can travel at a speed of up to 200 meters per hour.

The moon rover will land on Sinus lridum, which means “Bay of Rainbows” in Latin, a name the flat plain of basaltic lava was given because of the rainbow-like semicircular ridge of mountains surrounding it. Yutu will be in operation there for around three months.

The Chang’e-3 mission is the second phase of China’s lunar program, which includes orbiting,landing and returning to Earth. lt follows the success of the Chang’e-1 and Chang’e-2 missions in 2007 and 2010.

“More than 80 percent of technology used in the mission is new,”Wu noted.

GOODWILL MISSION

Pakistani Rear Admiral Syed Arifullah Hussaini is welcomed in Shanghai on November 25 after he led a two-ship flotilla to the Chinese city on a four-day visit

Spending Rule

ln the latest move under China’s antigraft campaign, central authorities issued a regulation to standardize fund management and ban Party and government extravagance on November 25.

The regulation, which contains 65 items and 12 chapters, outlines the proper management of funds for various uses, including official travel,receptions, meetings, official vehicles and buildings.

lt is meant to guide Party and government organizations in practicing frugality and rejecting extravagance, and is an important move in the spirit of the recentlyconcluded Third Plenary Session of the 18th Communist Party of China Central Committee, according to a statement issued by the Party’s Central Committee and the State Council, China’s Cabinet.

The regulation emphasizes that public offices must first work out an annual budget before spending funds. Funds used before budgeting and overspending are strictly prohibited.

Insurance Profits

Gross revenue of China’s social insurance funds increased 22 percent year on year to 3.14 trillion yuan($515 billion) last year, the Ministry of Finance revealed on November 27.

Gross expenditure increased 27 percent from 2011 to reach 2.39 trillion yuan ($392 billion) in 2012,according to the ministry.

TRAFFIC BOOST

The first extradosed bridge in Tibet Autonomous Region, the 1.28-km-long Ngaqen, opens to traffic on November 27 in Lhasa. Such bridges combine the structural features of a girder and cablestayed bridge

China’s social insurance funds cover basic endowment for senior citizens, basic medical care, unemployment, work-related injury and maternity.

Science Discover

Chinese scientists have observed hydrogen bonds through mod ified non-contact atomic force microscopy (AFM) for the first time in history,the National Center for Nanoscience and Technology (NCNST) announced on November 22.

Hydrogen bonds are fundamental to the most important molecules in nature. ln particular, they are responsible for holding the two strands of the double helix that forms DNA together and many enzymes use them to catalyze reactions.

Although study of hydrogen bonds began in the 1850s, scientists had not been able to view them until now.

A group of scientists with the NCNST have worked on modifying equipment for five years so as to create the best AFM apparatus in the field, and their work has allowed scientists to accurately analyze the structure of hydrogen bonds and directly measure bond angles and lengths.

“As an analogy, we have seen people on the ground standing in line from space before, but now we see them hand in hand for the first time,” said Qiu Xiaohui, one of the group’s scientists, adding that the discovery has broad application prospects in the study of intermolecular interactions.

Qiu said that accurate measurement of hydrogen bonds not only helps researchers understand the bond interaction, but also has great significance in material science and pharmaceutical development.

U.S.-based Science Magazine published the research results in essay form on November 1.

Pilot Licenses

The Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) announced on November 26 that it will ease requirements for obtaining private pilot licenses (PPLs), a move that should allow more Chinese citizens to ful fill their flying dreams.

The requirements for theory tests, practical tests as well as physical examinations will be loosened for those applying for a PPL, with previous standards being almost as high as those for acquiring commercial pilot licenses, according to a CAAC statement.

Under the new regulation,Chinese citizens aged 17 or above and with at least a junior high school education, will be eligible to apply for a PPL, which is only applicable for the flying of non-pro fit aircraft.

After they receive a cert ified report of their physical fitness, they will also have to go through 40 hours of theoretical studies and another 40 hours of flight training before they sit relevant tests. Passing the tests will win them a PPL, the statement said.

lt added that those who have obtained a PPL can also become professional pilots by acquiring a commercial pilot license, but that will be based on their flying time as a private pilot and need higher levels of training.

The previous regulation concerning the acquisition of pilot licenses in China was released in 1996.

Oil Pipeline Explosion

Fire fighters search for the missing people after a leaking pipeline caught fire and exploded on November 22 in Huangdao District , Qingdao, a coastal city in east China’s Shandong Province.

As of November 27, the blasts had killed 55 people,injured 145 others and left nine missing.

At 3 a.m. on November 22,crude oil began leaking from an underground pipeline operated by Sinopec, the country’s largest oil re finery. The spill then flowed into the city’s rainwater pipe network. Explosions ripped through residential and commercial roads in Huangdao at around 10:30 a.m. on the day when workers were clearing the spill.

The blasts exposed severe problems caused by human error and involved “very serious dereliction of duty,” according to Yang Dongliang, Director of the State Administration of Work Safety and head of an investigation team for the accident.

Nine people had been put in police custody, including seven from Sinopec and two from Qingdao’s economic and technological development zone, said police investigating the accident on November 26.

The rescue headquarters announced on November 27 that they will permanently shut down the explosion-hit oil pipeline.

To Be Connected

A bridge across the Yangtze River in Tongling, Anhui Province, is in the final stage of construction on November 25.Two parts are expected to be connected on December 16.

The 1,290-meter bridge contains a six-lane highway and four railway routes.

Solar Duties

The European Union (EU) on November 28 imposed tariffs of up to 42.1 percent on solar glass imports from China.

Chinese manufacturers had been allegedly selling the product,which is used for producing solar panels, in the EU at prices below cost, thus causing “material injury”to EU producers, the European Commission said in its Off i cial Journal.

The provisional levies, resulting from an anti-dumping investigation the commission launched in February, would range from 17.1 percent to 42.1 percent.

The decision came months after China and the EU solved solar panel trade disputes through “an amicable solution” in August.

The duties would be effective for six months, but would be prolonged for five years if the EU’s 28 member states make a final ruling by May 27 next year to do so.

E-commerce

China’s coastal areas lead the Greater China region in cross-border e-commerce retail, ranking highest in both transaction volume and growth rate, according to a report by global online retail giant eBay on November 27.

From June 2012 to June 2013,the southern coastal province of Guangdong overtook Hong Kong to rank first in the Greater China region in cross-border e-commerce retail sales volume, with east China’s Shanghai Municipality ranking third,data from the eBay report showed.

During the same period, exporters in the coastal provinces of Fujian,Zhejiang and Jiangsu recorded the fastest year-on-year growth in crossborder e-commerce sales via eBay platforms, with total sales surging 76.1 percent, 56.1 percent and 52.0 percent, respectively.

E-commerce business in central China’s Hubei, Hebei and Henan provinces has also been growing quickly.

For e-commerce retailers across the Greater China region, business targeting emerging markets, includ-

INNOVATION IS KEY

A staff member assembles an engine at JAC Automobile on November 27 in Hefei, capital of Anhui Province.That day, the 1 millionth engine that the company independently developed rolled off the production line ing Argentina, lsrael and Brazil, has witnessed substantial growth.

Price Fixing

China’s leading price regulator will crack down on excessively high prices in six industries as it looks to further protect consumers, Shanghai Securities News reported on November 25.

The industries include aviation,consumer goods, automobiles,telecommunications, pharmaceuticals and home appliances, said Lu Yanchun, an official with the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), at a training course on anti-price monopoly laws and regulations in Guangzhou,capital of south China’s Guangdong Province.

Lu said China has established an anti-monopoly legal system which contains an Anti-Monopoly Law,Regulations on Anti-Price Monopoly and Procedural Regulations on Administrative Enforcement of Anti-Price Monopoly.

ln January, the NDRC imposed heavy fines on overseas companies after years of investigations. lt levied 353 million yuan ($57.5 million)in fines against six liquid crystal display (LCD) producers, including Samsung, LG and four Taiwanese firms, for their participation in a price fixing cartel agreement.

ln August, the NDRC imposed fines totaling 670 million yuan($109.95 million) against six baby formula companies operating on the Chinese mainland following an antitrust probe. The companies were Biostime, Mead Johnson, Dumex,Abbott, Friesland and Fonterra.

HIGHEST SOLAR POWER STATION

A photovoltaic power station in Ngari Prefecture,Tibet Autonomous Region, which started construction on July 1, 2012, is put on pilot run

Investment Quota

China should increase the qualification and quota for Qualified Domestic lnstitutional lnvestors(QDlls) and Qualified Foreign lnstitutional lnvestors (QFlls) to help them with their activities, Zhou Xiaochuan, Governor of the People’s Bank of China, the country’s central bank, said on November 26.

Administrative approval procedures for QDll and QFll qualification and quota shall be eliminated “when conditions are ripe,” Zhou said at the third Sino-French Financial Forum.

ln 2002, China launched its QFll scheme to allow licensed foreign investors to use offshore yuan for investing in the country’s capital market.

The QDll scheme was launched in 2006 to allow domestic funds to be invested abroad.

Overseas Subsidiary

The Commercial Aircraft Corp. of China (COMAC) on November 23 opened its first wholly owned overseas subsidiary in the U.S. city of Newport Beach, South California.

The COMAC America Corp.aims to further its relationship with local civil aviation authorities,aerospace companies and academic institutions, mainly in areas such as airworthiness certification, civil aircraft development and educational training, said Jin Zhuanglong,Chairman of COMAC.

Jin said that the COMAC has actively established collaboration with various enterprises and organizations from different countries.

“Up to now, we’ve formed strategic partnerships with altogether 16 renowned international aerospace enterprises as suppliers to our C919 aircraft, including GE (General Electric Co.), UTC(United Technologies Corp.) and Honeywell,” he said.

“Various universities in the United States have provided training programs to COMAC, and we have collaborated with Boeing on energy saving programs,” Jin added.

Trash Becomes Treasure

A worker examines tissue boxes to be delivered to France in a workshop of Tianhemei Artware in Lin’an, Zhejiang Province.

The city has planted over 500,000 mu(33,333 hectares) of walnuts while Tianhemei Artware has collected waste walnut shells and turned them into delicate artworks, such as pen holders and tissue boxes.

Numbers

3.14 tln yuan

Gross revenue of China’s social security funds in 2012

40,000

Number of passengers that cross-Straits cruise liners have carried so far this year

800

Number of firms that have registered in the Shanghai pilot free trade zone

$602.3 bln

Estimated annual turnover of China’s information technology and telecommunication industries by 2020

THAILAND

Opposition protesters wave national flags as they march toward a government complex in Bangkok on November 27, attempting to overthrow Yingluck Shinawatra’s administration

ECUADOR

Women perform during a demonstration commemorating International Day for the Elimination of violence Against Women in Quito on November 25

THE UNITED KINGDOM

Scotland’s First Minister Alex Salmond (left)and Deputy First Minister Nicola Sturgeon display their regional government’s white paper, which suggests the region’s independence referendum

INDIA

Norwegian Magnus Carlsen claimed the world chess title in Chennai on November 22,becoming the first Western champion since 1975

THE UNITED ARAB EMIRATES

Fireworks illuminate the sky around Dubai’s Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest tower, on November 27, after the city was chosen to host World Expo 2020

THE UNITED STATES

President Barack Obama ,accompanied by his daughters,pardons a turkey named Popcorn before this year’s Thanksgiving Day

“There are many issues that we are not actually satis fied with, but we can accept the results.”

Xie Zhenhua, Head of the Chinese delegation to the 2013 UN Climate Change Conference in Warsaw, Poland, commenting on the results of the conference at its conclusion on November 23

“Today, people-to-people exchanges,political trust and business cooperation have together become the three pillars underpinning the new model of major-country relations between China and the United States.”

Chinese Vice Premier Liu Yandong, during her speech at the United States Institute of Peace in Washington, D.C. on November 21

“Putting every judicial process under the spotlight will test judges and help them improve the quality of their rulings. It could also prevent abuse of the right to sue and of legal resources.”

Zhou Qiang, President of the Supreme People’s Court, urging courts to publicly disclose the progress of trials and judgments to improve judicial transparency, on November 27

“The Chinese think that frequently saying‘thanks’ and ‘sorry’ is being overly polite, and purposely creates distance between friends,which hinders deeper communication.”

Shi Tonglan, a professor at Japan’s Ryukoku University, in her paper Exploring the Cultural Differences in Chinese and Japanese Language Behaviors

FOOTBALL STAR

Chinese national football team skipper Zheng Zhi was awarded the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) football player of the year prize at the annual gala of the AFC in Kuala Lumpur on November 26, for his performance on pitch for both his club and country.

Zheng, 33, was the former captain of the China national team. After signing with Guangzhou Evergrande in 2010 following a spell at former English Premier League team Charlton Athletic and Scottish giants Celtic, he soon became the backbone of the team.

TOP NEGOTIATOR

Chen Deming, President of the Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Straits (ARATS), made his first visit to Taiwan since assuming his post in April by leading a business delegation that arrived in Taiwan on November 26.

At the invitation of Taiwan’s Straits Exchange Foundation (SEF), the delegation visited a selection of the island’s companies, industrial parks and free economic pilot zones.

Before his departure for Taiwan, Chen, the former Minister of Commerce, expressed to the media his hope that the visit would promote exchanges between the ARATS and the SEF, and help them play a bigger role in advancing cross-Straits communication.

High-Speed Railways

World Knowledge

December 1

China’s high-speed railways have jumped to be a rising star in the global sector. Also, it is leading the export of China’s high-end products. Up to October, China ranked No. 1 in the world with a total mileage of 13,000 km high-speed railways.

The development of high-speed railways in China has gone through twists and turns. For instance, the collision of two highspeed trains in Wenzhou, east China’s Zhejiang Province, on July 23, 2011, threw the industry off track.

Indeed, the export of China’s high-speed railways, which has the world’s fastest construction, biggest network, highest speed and best integration abilities, will produce active effects in the international community.

Fortunately, high-speed railways have returned to public attention now.In October, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang recommended China’s high-speed railway technologies to Thai Premier Yingluck Shinawatra and Australia’s Governor General Quentin Bryce respectively during their respective meetings. Li told them that China’s high-speed railways are safe, reliable, and displays advanced technologies and rich experience, and point to cooperation potential in railway construction between China and both countries.

This revealed the leaders’ strategic intention of rebuilding the international image of China’s high-speed railways, as part of efforts to enhance an open economy in an all-round way.

Faced with a new international environment, China needs to consider how to give full play to the advantage of high-speed railways; how to turn from a big country to a strong country; and how to enable the world people to share the rewards of its development.

Civil Servant Exam

Global Times

November 25

China’s annual national civil servant recruitment exam was held recently. It was reported that nearly 1.12 million people attended and that the employment ratio was 57:1, which means cutthroat competition.Alongside this, public criticism against graduates’overheated pursuit of civil servant posts have surged.

Everyone has the right to choose his or her career path. If a graduate is really suitable for the job of a civil servant, then his or her choice is beyond reproach. However, the truth is that the chase has gone far beyond personal choice, revealing value orientation issues.

In the 1980s and 90s, many civil servants aspired to give up their jobs and start businesses as a means of realizing the value of their lives. At that time, graduates were unwilling to be civil servants. They chose to work in companies or start businesses by themselves.This proves that more than a decade ago, the majority of people thought they could access better lives by choosing careers other than that of civil servants.

Ironically, the current situation is just the opposite. Graduates generally think civil servants are well paid and enjoy good guarantees. Compared to civil servants, the cost of starting a business is becoming increasingly higher and holds bigger risks.

Therefore, it is essential for the government to release policies that encourage innovation and entrepreneurship, as well as lower relevant costs. In other words, it should provide sound development opportunities to graduates.

Of ficial Vehicle System

Beijing Youth Daily

November 26

China’s Central Government recently issued an ordinance, canceling the use of general official vehicles. General official vehicles refer to cars excluding those used for the work of ministerial and higher-level officials and those for law enforcement and other special duties.

For a long time, the excessive number of official vehicles was a major reason for high administrative costs and corruption. However, efforts in fighting corruption in this respect were never effective. The new rule is significant. Canceling the use of general official vehicles, corruption in this regard will be eliminated. In future, transportation for official business purposes will be left to the market.

Canceling general official vehicles will be the biggest achievement in China’s official vehicle reform. Surely, this reform may face objection,but should not be a reason for withdrawal. Only a effective implementation of this new rule can get the government out of the trap of official vehicle management, and further realize the goal of building a clean and honest state.

Trans-Genetic Food?

Oriental Outlook

November 28Despite trans-genetic food supporters having a strong impact in scientific circles,people are increasingly after non-transgenetic sources at supermarkets.

An online investigation showed that more than 90 percent of Chinese think trans-genetic food is not safe and object to commercial cultivation of such crops in the country.

Since trans-genetic technology aims to benefit human beings, why does it suffer such objection?

A major reason is that in the past,scientists working on trans-genetic food only focused on technological success, neglecting food safety standards and public opinion. China’s development of trans-genetic products currently lags far behind that of developed countries.

Apart from reliance on authoritative opinion, it is essential to remove suspicion.New initiatives always create doubt. The government and media have done little to promote popular science and address public concern. Instead, the media have even spread unscientific rumors. It is high time for scientists answered public questions.